An Israeli Air Force drone reportedly struck a jihadist rocket launcher in the Sinai Peninsula near the Israeli-Egyptian border, killing four suspected terrorists who were planning to launch missiles at Israel, Egyptian security sources told Reuters on Friday.
Details of the strike remain unclear. Five different security sources told Reuters the strike was done by Israel, while an Egyptian army spokesman issued a statement on Facebook several hours after the strike denying Israel was behind it. Israeli officials, meanwhile, declined to comment on the reports.
While initial reports cited witnesses as saying at least five jihadists were killed in the strike, Reuters later reported only four died.
One source said that the Israeli aircraft had observed the militants preparing three rocket launchpads to hit Israel. It launched a missile, killing two men, then killed another pair who stepped up to the pads after the first strike.
Israel Radio reported the drone fired while still over Israeli airspace, and that residents saw Egyptian army helicopters flying over the area.
On Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz ordered to close the Eilat Airport for two hours.
Source: JPost
